Burmese cat
| Burmese cat | |
|---|---|
Black European male | |
| Origin | |
| Foundation bloodstock | black sepia cat population in Burma (Myanmar) |
| Breed standards | |
| CFA | standard |
| FIFe | standard |
| TICA | standard |
| WCF | standard |
| ACF | standard |
| CCA-AFC | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| NZCF | standard |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
The Burmese cat (Burmese: ဗမာကြောင်, Băma kyaung, Thai: แมวพม่า or Suphalak, RTGS: Thongdaeng or Supphalak, meaning copper colour) is a pedigreed breed of domestic cat, originating in Burma, believed to have its roots near the Thai–Burma border, and developed by selective breeding in the United States and Britain.
Most modern Burmese are descendants of one female cat called Wong Mau, which was brought from Burma to the United States in 1930 and bred with American Siamese. From there, American and British breeders developed distinctly different Burmese breed standards, which is unusual among pedigreed domestic cats. Most modern cat registries do not formally recognise the two as separate breeds, but those that do refer to the British type as the European Burmese.
Originally, all Burmese cats were dark brown, genetically called black sepia, but are now available in a wide variety of sepia colours; formal recognition of these also varies by standard. Both versions of the breed are known for their uniquely social and playful temperament and persistent vocalisation.